Gangliosides and other glycosphingolipids are implicated in numerous important biological functions and medical problems. However, little is known of the actual mechanisms of these phenomena at the molecular level. Therefore, we are studying the chemistry of glycosphingolipids and their properties when bound in biomembranes and membrane-like preparations, for the purpose of providing basic knowledge which can contribute to the understanding and solution of medical problems. Our approaches are to study the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), particularly the carbon and proton NMR, of these substances and related molecules, using splitting, relaxation time, and other measurements to elucidate and compare their confirmations, and how they change upon binding into membrane vesicles. The sugar groups distinguish this class of molecules from most other lipids, and so we are synthesizing molecules of varying chain lengths and sugar groupings, in order to compare these with the naturally occurring substances. Finally, we are studying the hydrophobic binding properties of these substances by a novel technique using high-pressure liquid chromatography.